No "Buts" Allowed

[morgan_dhu]

Taken from hothead, fancymcsnazsnaz, and madamjolie, and modified to fit my own circumstances.


I'm pro-choice, and I would have an abortion. I have had an abortion in the past, and I do not regret my choice.


The meme:

If you agree with this statement, post it in your journal:

I'm pro-choice, and I would have an abortion.

*If pregnancy is not in the theoretical cards for you but you want to participate, feel free to substitute the statement "I am pro-choice" or "I'm pro choice and I would assist someone with having an abortion, no questions asked." Or whatever you're comfortable with. The implications are slightly different, but solidarity is just as important. The important thing is not having the BUT that everyone loves throw in there.


The background:

There are too many damned idiots in the world going around saying "I'm pro-choice, but..."

But what? But I'm so morally superior I'd never do such a nasty thing myself? But I'll never be in that position because I'm too smart, too privileged, too whatever I think will exempt me from the possibility of being pregnant and not wanting a child? But I think it's the less worse of two evils and I really feel uncomfortable about it? But I really don't want to admit that pro-choice means that some people will have abortions, no matter how perfect a world it is.

And if you are that person who accepts without judgment another's choice to have an abortion but would not have one yourself, guess what - you're just plain pro-choice. You choose not to abort. But it's a choice, and you acknowledge other people's rights to choose differently. So you don't need to say "I'm pro-choice, but..." Unless what you're really after is distancing yourself from those people who choose abortion, and if you are, then perhaps you need to ask yourself why you need to distance yourself.

So, no "Buts" allowed on this one. You either believe in reproductive and sexual choice or you don't.

Comments

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Well said! Mind if I link to your explanation in my posting of the meme?

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

Go ahead.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think it's an excellent explanation for all the unquenchable but-heads out there. (-;

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

unquenchable but-heads

I love this.

[hawkeye7.livejournal.com]

Has this become an issue in the Canada?

It was never much of one here until recently. The new Federal Health Minister is a Catholic with aspirations to grandeur. He started off with a speech claiming that there were too many abortions in the country, especially by unmarried teenagers. There was a scramble while the state Health departments checked their records, which showed that (1) most wimmin who have abortions are in their prime child-bearing years, therefore (2) they have been declining for some years, along with that segment of the population, (3) most of them are married, (4) teenage abortons are also in decline, (5) most of whom are also married.

Unfortunately, this didn't shut him up for long. Now another furore has erupted over the drug RU486. This was banned as part of a deal with a right-wing ratbag in return for his vote for selling off the phone company. Now the Health Minister claims that it is too dangerous. (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17233774-421,00.html) There are no other drugs on the market with dangerous side effects, it seems, and doctors are not competent to handle this.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

It's much more of an issue in the U.S., but the situation here is far from perfect. Canada has no law on surgical abortion (our supreme Court struck down the last attempt about 15 years ago and no governemnt since has wanted to take on the challenge of trying to write one that won't be declared unconstitutional). So the only legal issue around surgical abortion is whether or not provinces include it as a medical procedure that is covered under provincial medicare programs.

Access is a significant problem, however. Some provinces don't cover it under medicare, so there's inequities in access due to economic factors. The vast majority of hospitals and clinics that perform surgical abortions are located in the cities, and there are, last I heard, no facilities in the north that provide abortions. Rural women and northern women have to travel huge distances to get to a clinic.

RU486 hasn't been approved for use here either, although I hear there's a thriving underground, and many doctors are using a somewhat less effective combination of drugs that have the off-label effect of producing abortions.

So, while abortion in principle hasn't been an issue for some time now, reasonable access continues to be one.

Also, we're into another election (the minority governemnt was defeated in a non-confidence vote about 10 days ago now) and the odds are about 50/50 that if the Conservative party gets in this time, they'll try to limit abortion legally again - because that's roughly the split in that party on an anti-abortion motion brought forward at their last covention.

So yes, it could become a legal issue here again (although, what with four Supreme Court Justices, including the Chief Justice, being relatively progressive women, odds are that anti-abortion legislation would be struck down again). And it is, of course, a huge issue in the U.S., and I was also expressing solidarity with women working for reproductive rights there.

[riverheart.livejournal.com]

Nicely said.

I'm pro-choice, and trying to get pregnant. I have always been pro-choice. I would assist any woman with having an abortion for any reason she deemed important to her, in any way I could.

I would not, at this point, have an abortion because that would be exactly contrary to what we're trying to do. In no way does that take away my right to choose. In no way should that influence any other woman's right to choose. I support the right of choice for any woman at any time under any circumstance.

No 'buts'. I'm pro-choice. If abortion becomes illegal, I'll be one of the women getting trained in performing safe lay abortions, and risking my own neck and safety to ensure that women continue to have a choice.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

It's the spirit and the commitment, not the individual's circumstances, that matter. I'm past the age where I'll ever be pregnant again (barring a huge amount of technological intervention, which I can't see happening no way, no how. But just because it's no longer a personal choice I'll even have to think about, it's still important to be very firmly pro-choice, for all those people who will have choices to make, and deserve to be able to make whatever choice is right for them.

By the way, I don't recognise your handle - do we know each other from somewhere?

[horosha.livejournal.com]

I really liked your comments over in feminist and your post here is simply gorgeous. Do you mind if I add you to my friend list?

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the compliment. Feel free to add me. I have limited time for LJ, and I usually watch other people's journals for a while before deciding whether to add them or not - so please don't take it personally if I don't add you back, there's a limit to how many posts I can handle on my friends page and still get my work done.